News

During the past year, Osborne partnered with StoryCorps, the national oral history project and radio program, to record, preserve and share the unique and important stories of our staff and participant community. StoryCorps’ mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.

Osborne's Center for Justice Policy and Practice, in its work to increase support for people who are aging in prison, recognizes the urgent need for parole reform, as we have seen people qualified for parole repeatedly denied, usually based solely on the nature of their crime. Older people have the lowest recidivism rates of any age cohort in NY State and U.S. prisons, and pose almost no risk to public safety. Yet in 2015, the NYS Parole Board granted parole to only 20% of all applicants, and to only 17% of those aged 55 and older who had already served at least 10 years in prison. On May 10, Osborne is joining Challenging Incarceration, and many other organizations and advocates for Unite for Parole and Prison Justice–A Day of Advocacy and Action. The day will focus on urging legislators to create a more effective parole process. Below is a list of ways to participate with Challenging Incarceration in advocacy on social media, regardless of whether or not you will be in Albany.

On March 31, 2017, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced a plan to close Rikers Island in the next decade. Read part of the Mayor's statement, watch the press conference, and find the full report detailing the steps that will be taken to close Rikers below:

Osborne's President and CEO, Elizabeth Gaynes testifies before the New York City Board of Correction at the October, 16 2015 hearing on proposed revisions to minimum standards for new york city jails regarding visiting